Lace-fastener



\ No. 625,|65. Patented May I6, |899.

A. HANSUN.

LACE FASTENEB.

(Application led Jan. 28, 1899,)

(No Model.)

UNITED l STATES PATENT FFICE.

ANNA HANSON, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN.

LAC E-FASTENER.

- SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters' Patent No. 625,165, dated 16, 1899.

p Application filed JanuaryZG, 1899. Serial No. 703.497. (No model.)

fastening device especially adapted for use in connection with shoe-laces, which device will be independent of the lace and the article to which the lace is to be applied.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the character indicated that may be made of small size and yet be capable of holding the ends of the lace firmly in desired position whether the ends of the lace terminate in a bow or are simply passed through the device.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the device thatit will be simple and economic and that it may be expeditiously and conveniently applied and removed.`

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth,

-and pointed out in theclaims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of referenceindicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a laced shoe and a perspective view of the device applied to the lace. Fig. 2 is a section taken substantially on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the device. Fig. 4 is a rear elevation or bottom view of the `device. Fig. 5 is a plan View of the device in open position, illustrating also a portion of the upper of the shoe. Fig. 6 is a section through the upper of the shoe, taken practically on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5, the device being shown in edge view and in its open position. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of the spring used in connection with the device. Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the device closed, illustrating a slight modification in the construction of the device; and Fig. 9 is a section taken substantially on the line 9 9 of Fig. 8.

A represents the device in its entirety, B the upper portion of a shoe, and C the lace for the shoe, adapted to be secured at its `said member.

when the members are brought to bear one on the other.V Preferably the flange 10 of the cap. member a is provided with recesses 11 in opposite sides, the recesses being produced y in the inner edge of the iiange, as is shown best in Fig. 3. The cap `member Ct` is attached to the bottom plate or member a by means of a hinge 12, the hinge connection between the members being at a point in their outer edges. A

Although the device is shown as circular in general contour, I desire it to be understood that the shape of the device may be changed; but in any event the two members ct and a' Will be of the same shape in plan view.

A slot 13 kis made in the bottom plate or member ct, extending from the edge that is immediately opposite the hinge 12, as is shown in Fig. 4, and the said slot is adapted to receive a tongue 14, carried by the cap member, the tongue being provided witha head 15, wider than the tongue and having shoulders that arearranged to engage with the under or back surface of the bottom plate or member when the tongue is Within the slot 13 of The tongue 14 is a springtongue, and when the cap member is closed upon' the bottom plate or member of the device the tongue automatically springs into the slot 13 in said plate.

Under the construction shown in Figs. 2. 4, and 5 the tongue 14 forms a portion of a plate 16, Athat extends along theinner surface of the front portion of the cap and is attached thereto by rivets 17 or by equivalent means, and the said plate 1G when employed is carried along the side of the cap opposite the a. This spring may be of any desired construction, but is at all times so made that a portion or" the spring will practically engage with the inner face of the bottom plate orv IOO member a when the cap member a' is closed thereon. The spring a2 is adapted to bear against a lace passed between the members of the device and clamp the said lace firmly t0 the inner face of the bottom member a. The form of the spring a2 usually employed and shown in Fig. 7 consists of two parallel and spaced members 18 and 19, having projections 2O at their free ends, the projections being at a right angle to the said members 18 and 19, and a bow-section 21, located below or beneath the bar members 18 and 19 and attached thereto by connecting members 22, which extend from the bar members in a direction opposite to the projections 20. The spring is attached to the inner face of the front portion of the cap member a through the medium of the projections 20, which are ordinarily placed one at each side of the spring-tongue 14, whereby the bow-section 21 is made 'to face the inner surface of the bottom member and is of slightly less dimensions than the chamber of the cap member, as shown particularly in Fig. 5. I desire it to be understood, however, that the spring may be secured to the cap member in any other desired manner and that the portion or portions of the spring arranged for attachment to the cap member may be differently shaped, as shown in the drawings.

In Figs. 2, 3, and 4 the cap member when in closed position is illustrated as having bearing upon the front or inner surface of the bottom member a; but under the construction of the device shown in Figs. 8 and 9 the cap member is of such size that when in its closed position it will extend around the edge ofthe back member, and the spring-tongue 14:a is struck out directlyfrom the flange of the cap member and is made to terminate in a head 15, similar to the head 15, heretofore described, the head l5 extending below the inner edge of the cap member, as is shown particularly in Fig. 8. The spring-tongue lata is also bent inward, as shown in Fig. 9, so that it Will enter the slot or opening 13 in the cap member when the two members are closed together.

The spring a2 in the modified form of the device is shown as of the same construction as illustrated iu the spring iirst described; but in the modified form of the device the knuckle of the hinge 12n is formed integral with or is attached to the bottom plate or member and engages with a pintle formed in the flange of the cap member, as illustrated in Fig. 9. v

The lacing of the shoe is accomplished in the ordinary manner. The lace is then tied in the usual bow-knot, and the bottom plate A of the device is passed between the first and second ties made in the formation of the knot, thus bringing the central fold of the knot within the slot 13 in the said bottom mem-n ber A, as shown in Figs. 2, 5, and 6, the ends and loops extending out beyond opposite sides of the device. The cap member is now closed upon the bottom member until the latch enters the keeper-slot 13 in the bottom plate or member, as shown in Fig. 2, at which time the spring will have such bearing upon the knot tied as to effectually preventit from becoming loosened. I desire it to be understood, however, that the lace need not neces sarily be formed in a knot in order to .render the fastener effective, since the ends of the lace may simply be passed through the slot 13 in opposite directions across the bottom member or plate or in the same direction, and said lace will be held securely in adjusted po` sition when the cap member is closed upon the bottom member.

The device is capable of being made ornamental, or it may be made plain and may be of such size that it will not be conspicuous in use.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. Aiace-fastener, consisting of a slotted bottom member, a cap member having a hinge connection with the bottom member, a springtongue carried by the cap member and arranged to automatically enter the slot in the bottom member when the two members are brought together,the sprin g-tongue being provided with an enlargement at its outer end, arranged for bearing against the rear face of the bottom member, and a spring secured within the cap member,a portion of the said spring being of bow shape and located at the open portion of the cap member, for the purpose set forth.

2. A shoe-lace fastener, having two sections hingedly connected, one of said sections having a cavity therein and having recesses in its opposite sides, through which recesses the bows of the laces majT be passed, the otherA section having a slot therein adapted to receive the standing parts of the laces, and a catch for removably holding the sections engaged with each other.

ANNA HANSON.

lVitnesses:

A. J. CUMMiNs, MARY ANN STILLsoN.

IOC 

